The Myth Of Endless Free Time

When you’re still working, you might think about retirement and imagine it to be never-ending free time. You may picture yourself sleeping in as late as you want, relaxing in a hammock until noon, and then hitting the links for a round of golf whenever you’d like. The truth is that, yes, some days may be like that, but not all of them. Once you retire, you’ll quickly start to realize that retirement free time isn’t endless. In fact, you might actually be busier than ever before. 

How does that happen?

One reason you might be busier in retirement is because there are now suddenly all kinds of things that you want to do! When you want to do something (compared to when you have to do something), you’re a lot more likely to do it. That means your days naturally fill up with activities. You’ll want more time to travel or see loved ones or spend time on your hobbies, but there’s still only 24 hours in a day, so you may find that these hours fill up fast. In fact, you’ll probably even pick up new hobbies or make new friends or find all sorts of new interests and, eventually, it all gets really busy! 

Don’t forget about all the things you’ve been putting off until retirement, like fixing things up around the house or learning new skills. You’ve always wanted to do these things, and now that you’re retired you decide to do them. However, they can easily fill up your entire day! 

One more reason people find themselves busier in retirement is that you start spending time on things that you once rushed. You’ll cook meals at home and eat them at a leisurely pace, rather than running to get takeout for instance. You’ll walk places instead of driving and (often literally) stop to smell the roses while you do it. This is wonderful, as you’ll be enjoying your time, but it might make your life feel busier as well. 

The truth is that endless retirement free time is kind of a myth. So, how do you deal with it? How do you make sure you get the most out of your retirement without exhausting yourself or missing out on the things you want to do? It starts by managing your time effectively. 

Give Yourself Structure

Being a part of the daily workforce naturally gives your life structure. You have to be up at a certain time and work during certain hours, and that naturally dictates how you live your life. Because of your work schedule, you eat your meals around the same time each day, you run errands on evenings and weekends, and you plan your social life to exist in the hours you have available.

Once you’re no longer working, a lot of that structure disappears. Without structure, it’s easy to let time pass quickly. It’s also common to get overwhelmed. 

Try to keep a regular schedule in your retirement life. It doesn’t have to be the same every day and it doesn’t need to be jam packed from morning to night but having structure matters. It will allow you to make time for the things you love to do while still ensuring you take care of the things you have to do (such as running errands, attending appointments, etc.). 

Think About What Matters

No one can achieve or accomplish absolutely everything on earth, nor should you try to. When you’re creating your schedule and planning your retirement life, think about what matters the most. This will be different for everyone. 

Your top priority could be spending time with your grandchildren, or traveling with your partner, or dedicating time to a hobby, or whatever matters the most to you. Make sure to make time for the most meaningful things in your life. If you do, when things get busy, you can always cut some less important activities from your schedule and still feel like you’re having a meaningful retirement. You also won’t feel as stressed or overwhelmed if you’re doing what you love. 

Stop Multitasking

They say that the idea of multitasking is actually a myth. The thought that you can do two or more tasks at once and get them all done properly doesn’t stand up when scrutinized. Truthfully, trying to get it all done at the same time often wastes more time than it saves.

Now that you’re retired, abandon this idea once and for all. Don’t try to multitask. You’ll only stress yourself out and waste more time. If you find yourself tempted to respond to emails while watching TV and folding laundry, remind yourself that you don’t need to do this. Focus on one task at a time and, ironically, you’ll get more done and have more time left over. 

Make Sure Others Understand

Those who are still working will likely think of retirement the same way you once did. They’ll assume you have all the time in the world and might not understand when you say you’re not available or that you’re too busy to do something. 

You don’t need to say “yes” every single time someone asks you to do something just because you’re retired and have “more free time.” Remember, focus on what matters most to you and put yourself and your needs first. If you do that, you won’t feel so overwhelmed by all your obligations and you’ll have a much more enjoyable retirement.